Folding support for hammocks.



H. PRICE.

' FOLDING SUPPORT FOR HAMMOCKS.

- APPLICATION FILED HA3. 8, 1910. 970,549. Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

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FOLDING SUPPORT FOR HAMMOOKS.

APPLICATION FILED HA3. 8, 1910.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

vlll lllllllll I lIHHHHI lfl hJ-HU I HHHHH HARRY PRICE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING SUPPORT FOR HAMMOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

Application filed March 8, 1910. Serial No. 548,064.

To a'ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY PRICE, a subject of the Czar of Russia, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Supports for Hammocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to folding supports for hammocks.

One of the requisite features of a folding support for hammocks is sufficient strength and stability to withstand the weight of the occupants of the hammock and to withstand the swinging of the hammock. Another requisite feature is simplicity of construction whereby the expense of manufacture may be kept as low as possible. It is also desirable that the hammock support be adapted to be folded so that it may be conveniently stored in a small space.

The present invention provides a 11ammock support which fulfils all of the conditions above mentioned.

The characteristic feature of the support illustrated upon the drawings is the tubular structure of the principal members of the support to which the weight of the hammock is subjected.

The support comprises essentially a horizontal bar of tubular structure and a pair of folding legs at each end of the bar, the legs being also tubular in structure. The legs are permanently connected with the horizontal bar by pivot links which serve to brace the legs and lend rigidity to the support when the latter is open for use, and which maintain the legs in close proximity to the horizontal bar when the legs are folded. Each pair of legs is provided with a cross brace which is adapted to lock them in open position, the cross braces being shown in this embodiment of the invention at the lower ends of the legs so that they may serve the additional purpose of a base for the support. The upper ends of the legs are pivotally and permanently joined and they are formed to be interengaged with the horizontal bar when the support is open for use so that they may be interlocked with the horizontal bar. The relation of the coacting portions of the legs and the horizontal bar is such that the locking of the legs in open position. effects the interlocking of the legs with the horizontal bar, no other operation being necessary to brace the support in condition for use.

Of the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form in which the invention may be embodied, Figure 1 represents a side elevation with portions in section of a folding hammock support with a hammock suspended therein. Fig. 2 represents the support in folded position, intermediate portions of the support being broken out. Fig. 3 represents a section 011 line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: represents a section on line 4% of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a section on a larger scale of the interlocking portions of the horizontal bar and a pair of supporting legs. Fig. 6 represents a section similar to Fig. 5 illustrating a different manner of forming pivotal connection between two complemental legs. Fig. 7 illustrates one of the interlocking pieces included in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 illustrates one of the interlocking pieces included in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 represents a horizontal section looking up, including fragments of the horizontal bar, a pair of legs and connecting links therefor.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever they occur.

On the drawii'lgs 10 indicates a horizontal bar, which is preferably tubular in construction. Two pairs of supporting legs are provided for the bar 10, the individual legs being indicated at 11. The legs are also preferably tubular in structure. The legs are all permanently connected with the horizontal. bar 10 by links 12, each of the legs being provided with an individual link. The links are connected with their respective legs by pivots 13, and they are connected with the horizontal bar by pivots 14. In the form illustrated the two links for each pair of legs are joined by the pivots 14, the pivots extending through a connecting piece such as a strip or collar 15 affixed upon the bar 10. The pairs of legs 11 are pivotally connected at their upper ends so that when they are open for use as shown by solid lines in Fig. 1 they resemble the letter V inverted, and when closed as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 they may be substantially parallel. The upper ends of the legs may be connected in the manner illustrated by Fig. 5 or in that illustrated by Fig. 6. Referring first to Fig, 5, the upper end of each leg 11 is pro vided with an end piece comprising a cylindrical shank 16 and an ear 17. The shanks 16 are inserted in the ends of the legs and are afiixed in any preferred manner, as, for example, by means of pins or rivets 18. The ears 17 are joined by pivoted links 19, the links being arranged between the shanks 16 and the extremities of the ears. The inner edge of each car 17 is formed with a semi-circular recess 20 so that when the ears are brought together by placing the legs in open position a circular opening is provided between the ears. The horizontal bar 10 is provided with end pieces 21, the end pieces being inserted in the open ends of the bar and affixed as desired. As shown by Figs. 1 and 2 the end pieces are secured by means of screw-threaded rods 22 having depending extremities bent in the form of hooks 23. The outer ends of the end pieces 21 are provided with peripheral flanges 24 separated by a space adapted to receive the ears 17. The connecting portions between the flanges 24 are cylindrical and of the same diameter as the opening formed by the recesses 2Q. The ears 17 are therefore adapted to embrace the end pieces 21 between the flanges 24 as shown by Fig. 5, and movement of the ears longitudinally of the bar 10 is prevented by the flanges 24 which lock the ears 17.

The legs 11 may be joined by a single pivot 25 as shown by Fig. 6 instead of the pivoted links 19 shown by Fig. 5. The end pieces for this form of connection are made according to the form shown by Fig. 8. In this form the shanks 16, ears 17 and recesses 20 are the same as in the form shown by Fig. 7 except that the ears are provided with coacting bosses 26 arranged to be pivotally connected by the pivot stud 25.

Each pair of legs is provided with a cross brace 27 (see Fig. 4). One end of the cross brace is permanently connected to one leg by a pivot stud 28 and the other end is preferably formed with a recess 29 adapted to re ceive a stud 3O afiixed in the opposite leg. The ends of the cross brace may be attached at the ends of the legs or between the ends of the legs, but in order that it may serve an additional purpose it is arranged and shown at the ends of the legs. The cross brace may with convenience be formed of a strip of angle iron of an L shaped cross section, and may be arranged so that one of its broad faces shall constitute a base for the support to rest on. WVith the cross brace arranged to serve as a base the support may be used upon soft ground without liability of forcing the legs into the ground, and it may be placed upon a floor without liability of scratching the floor by the ends of the legs. The lower leaf or base of the cross piece 27 intervenes between the ends of the legs and the floor when it is attached in the manner illustrated by the drawings.

The pivot studs 14 by which the braces 12 are connected to the horizontal bar pass through bushings 84 which support hooks 31, upon which the ropes or rings of a hammock 32 may be suspended. The hammock included in Fig. 1, and sometimes termed a couch hammock is formed with a. rigid frame and it is therefore adapted to be suspended by perpendicular ropes 33. If, however, the supporting structure is used to support the ordinary hammock composed of net-work or canvas, without a rigid frame, a greater space between the supporting hooks would be necessary because the ropes at the ends of a hammock of the latter type do not extend perpendicularly. The ends of a hammock of the latter type may therefore be suspended upon the hooks 23 which are farther separated than the hooks 31.

Figs. 1, 2, and 4 illustrate the braces 12 attached to the outer sides of the legs 11. It may be desirable to attach the braces to the inner sides of the legs as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 9. Fig. 9 also includes the braces 12 connected in accordance with Figs. 1, 2, and 4. Since the legs are permanently connected with the horizontal bar 10 and are adapted to be interengaged with the ends of the bar in the manner described it is apparent that the only means necessary for locking the structure in open position are the cross braces 27. In order to unlock the legs so that they may be folded it is necessary merely to lift the studs 30 out of the recesses 29 to release the legs so that they may be folded to the position shown by Fig. 2. The braces 27 after being disengaged from the studs 30 may be folded upwardly against the inner sides of the legs to which they are attached by the pivots 28 and the legs may then be closed as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. The closing of the legs disengages them from the ends of the horizontal bar 10 and they may then be turned about their pivots 13 to the position shown by Fig. 2. Although the braces 12 as shown by Fig. 2 extend outwardly from the pivots 14 it is apparent that they may be turned about the pivots 14 so that they extend toward each other. By folding the braces 12 inwardly instead of outwardly the length of the support when folded may be made less than when the braces 12 are folded outwardly.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, what I claim is 1. A hammock support comprising a horizontal bar having circumferential grooves formed in its opposite ends, two pairs of supporting legs pivotally connected with said bar, extensions from the upper ends of said legs surrounding said bar within said grooves, and means for holding said legs in supporting position.

2. A hammock support comprising a horizontal bar having circumferential grooves formed at its opposite ends, two pairs of supporting legs pivotally connected to said bar, means for holding said legs in supported position, and hooked shaped extensions from the upper ends of said legs surrounding said bar in said grooves whereby said legs are retained against longitudinal movement.

3. A hammock support comprising a horizontal bar having circumferential grooves formed at its opposite ends, two pairs of pivotally connected supporting legs pivotally connected to said bar and having their upper ends surrounding said bar in said groove.

4. A hammock support comprising a horizontal bar having circumferential grooves formed at its opposite ends, two pairs of supporting legs, the legs of each pair being pivoted together adjacent the under side of said bar, hook-shaped extensions from the upper end of said legs surrounding said bar within said groove, and means for holding said legs in supported position.

5. A hammock support comprising a horizontal bar having circumferential grooves formed at its opposite ends, two pairs of supporting legs, a link pivotally connecting the legs of each pair and disposed adjacent the under side of said bar, extensions from the upper ends of said legs surrounding said bar within said groove, and means for holding said legs in supported position.

6. A hammock support comprising a horizontal bar, two pairs of legs, those of each pair being pivotally connected by permanent connections, pivotal links permanently connecting said legs and horizontal bar, two struts each pivotally connected to the lower end of one leg of each pair of legs, said struts being adapted to underlie the legs and hold them open, said legs, links and struts being adapted to fold against said horizontal bar, and coactive means aflixed respectively to said horizontal bar and said legs for positively locking said legs with relation to the bar when the legs are open.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY PRICE.

WVitnesses:

W. P. ABELL, P. W. PEzzET'rI. 

